Villa Excavations

The name 'villa' conjours up images of plush elegant living and you wouldn't be wrong, relatively speaking. Certainly by the 4th century, Northfield Villa was occupied by wealthy inviduals enjoying an afluent Romanised lifestyle. It wasn't just a luxury home for the old school tribal aristocracy though, it was the centre of rural commerce. Neighbouring smaller settlements would probably hub into Northfield to utilise an established sales & distribution network for their produce. Other ground evidence for local settlements has been found at Shirebrook (Stubbins Wood), Sookholme, Moorhaigh Farm, Hardwick, Warsop & Scarcliffe Park. Evidence of industrial activity has been found at Sookholme, the site of a very busy tile kiln, determined by the large spoil heap found.

The original Northfield site contained wooden huts, pit dwellings and storage pits within a ditched enclosure that was typical of an Iron-Age farm. However, after the site was destroyed in c130 AD, they rebuilt with larger structures using tiled roofs instead of thatch. A second excavation by Oswald in 1930 revealed the post holes were 65 cms across and 1m deep dug into the limestone bedrock that would have supported a very substantial, possibly 2 storey building. In 180AD the settlement was destroyed and rebuilt again but this time in stone. The original stone structure was a simple rectangle with wings added around c200AD. Separate buildings were evidently discovered suggested as servants quarters and a lavatory. In the mid 3rd century the villa was rebuilt and enlarged again after another fire. Around 300AD the 'Villa Rustica' was built. This was a typical 'basilican' or 'aisled' single storey building with grand mosaics, bath house, hypocaust (central heating) servants accomodation and living quaters for the main family. The northfield site has only ever been partially excavated, however, a similar Villa has been extensively researched & recreated at Butser Farm in hampshire. You can take a virtual online tour of Butser at http://www.discoveryeurope2.com/roman_villa/_html/

One of the most interesting finds by Rooke were two 'sepulchres' (tombs) 100 yards to the south-east along with other simpler graves. The tombs had been disturbed and evidently robbed but one still had part of its inscription intact. The RIB index (Roman Inscriptions of Britain) lists the Northfield tomb inscription.

' Mansfield Woodhouse area, several pieces of an ansate-framed tombstone found in 1786 about 100 yards to south-east of the villa at Northfield, now lost.'

From the inscription we can gather the name of the deceased and learn something about him. Aelius was a name given to a man or a man's child whom had gained Roman citizenship under Hadrian (Aelius Hadrianus) 117AD-138AD or Antoninus (Aelius Antoninus) 138AD-161AD.

Carm. is a Latin abbreviation for carmina related to poetry, implying that this was an educated man.

Referring to my page 'Brigantes' - northern tribal Britain remained hostile during the whole of the Roman occupation with major uprisings occurring approx every 20 years. No doubt there were countless raids too, which leads me to speculate that our man Carmina, citizen of Rome, may have been killed by Brigantes raiders. The records that fit precisely are the recorded Brigantes revolt in 180AD with Rooke's considered accurate dating of a major fire that destroyed the villa the very same year. The 118AD revolt can't be considered because pottery and coin dating amongst the ashes is post 122AD. This revolt was the big one when Trent Valley sites were also destroyed and the 9th Hispanic legion at York was replaced by the 6th Victrix legion in 122AD, suspected of being massacred by the Brigantes. This event is considered to be behind the building of the mighty Hadrian's Wall. The 138AD revolt is a likely date and is further strengthened by the record of a legion at Pleasley that year.